Stranger in a Stranger Land
by JoanofArc7777777
Summary: When Xena took out most of the Olympian Gods, she had no idea what she was getting herself into; now she and Gabrielle find themselves taking care of the Olympians replacements, the Roman Pantheon. How are they going to deal with finding and babysitting a bunch of young immortals?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! So obviously this is a Xena Fanfiction. First off, anything and everything in the Xena universe does not belong to me, I claim no credit for that brilliance. **

**Secondly, while I fully accept X/G as my OTP, this is not focused on their relationship, although it will be in here this story will be more like the show; the relationship is there, but it is very much innuendo. **

**Thirdly, time period is AFTER the 25-year time skip, after Xena basically destroys the pantheon; that's actually kinda the basis.**

**Lastly, according to my and my poetic license, Xena killed a lot more of the Olympians than it showed in the...well, the show. And in my Mythology-buff mind, I figured hey! a perfect chance to incorporate the Roman gods! Basically a lot is actually explained in the second chapter...so if you can hold on until then, well, have a cookie.**

Chapter one: Not in Kansas anymore

Fourth year cadet Katharine Shields jogged at a steady pace through the woods. She was bruised all over and her head ached, but she knew she had to keep moving. As she looked around her, trying desperately to remain calm, a terrifying thought kept occurring to her; that she was completely lost.

_"Echo, Foxtrot, Gulf…can anyone hear me? Come in Echo."_

It was probably the hundredth time she had tried for radio contact, with no response. As she looked up at the darkening sky, she knew she would have to find somewhere to pitch camp, and soon.

Kate had been with her company, Echo, on a standard training mission in the mountains of New York, when a storm had come entirely out of nowhere and they had been forced to find shelter. They had been making their way to a set of caves on the side of a cliff when a lightning bolt had struck a tree to her right, and Kate found herself tumbling down the cliff. Fortunately for her it wasn't a straight drop, unfortunately she hit her head on a rock and was knocked out.

When Kate had come to, the storm had stopped. Her head hurt like a bitch, but besides that and a lot of bruises she was fine. She had looked for the caves but had somehow rolled so far away from the cliffs that she couldn't find them. That's when she first started trying radio contact, but to no avail. She had pulled out her map and compass, this was after all a navigation exercise, but she couldn't find any of the landmarks on her map. Not to mention some of the foliage was starting to look suspiciously foreign to New York.

That's when she started to get worried.

Now the sun was setting, Kate hadn't gotten in contact with any of the training companies that she knew were out there, and she had no clue where she was. Tired and sore, she finally resigned herself to pitching a tent and calling it a day. She came upon a nice small clearing with a stream nearby, set herself up for the night and, with nothing for dinner besides a clif bar, she promptly fell asleep.

A loud rustling noise outside her tent woke Kate up. Checking her watch she saw that it was six in the morning; she was usually up before then. Something rustled again, it sounded large, and slowly Kate reached for the small red knife that she always kept on the waistband of her pants.

_It's probably just a…raccoon or something_, she thought to herself, trying to calm her racing heart. She knew there were bears in these mountains, and suddenly she wished, not for the first time, that WestPoint issued its cadets guns when they were out in the wilderness. She shut her eyes, ears straining to hear what the animal or animals were doing. That's when she heard it.

Voices.

Kate's eyes snapped open and she slowly crawled out of her sleeping bag, trying to make out what whoever was out there was saying. Suddenly she heard a tearing noise behind her and, still crouched, Kate spun around, flicking open her knife, to find a large rip in her tent and one of the ugliest faces she had ever seen staring in at her.

"I'm telling you Xena, we should have taken that road back there; it may not be a shortcut but at least it's the actual road to Athens." A small blonde girl huffed, brushing aside a large branch that was in her way. Moments like these she wished she still had her staff; a pair of sais were little help when it came to moving through shrubbery.

The tall brunette next to her did not have the same issue, as she hacked away at the forest in front of her with her sword. "Gabrielle, if we had followed that road we wouldn't have gotten to Athens for another week; and I don't know about you but I don't really want to keep Autolycus waiting, he'd steal half the city out of sheer boredom."

Gabrielle just grunted in agreement, kicking at a rock that proved to be larger than she thought.

"Tartarus curse it, Gods damnit, fucking son of a Bachae…" she continued to swear eloquently, hopping up and down while trying to massage her wounded toe.

"Shhhh, quiet Gabrielle." Xena stopped, putting a hand on Gabrielle's shoulder. She had heard something that sounded like fighting, but Gabrielle's curses were making it hard to hear properly.

Gabrielle stopped, gingerly setting her foot back down, and glared up at Xena. "_What?_" she hissed, clearly annoyed.

Xena's eyes were still darting around, searching for the cause of the noise. "Do you hear that?" she asked softly.

"No, in fact I have no idea what the Hades-" but then Gabrielle stopped, she heard it too. She turned to her right, and suddenly she saw a flash of sunlight reflect off of what was unmistakably a blade, quite a few yards off. Quietly she motioned in the direction to Xena, who nodded.

Xena whispered for Argo to stay, and slowly, without even having to speak to each other, the two moved silently towards the fight.

Kate had her back to a tree, as her eyes darted between the three men in front of her. They were by far the ugliest, smelliest men she had ever met; but they were also very dangerous as she had quickly discovered. She had thrown the first one off by charging the opening where he had torn her tent with his…sword. The shock still hadn't really hit her that she was being attacked by three men, wearing filthy clothes and carrying weapons that hadn't been in use for hundreds of years.

No, she was more focused on the fact that they were trying to kill her.

She had a nasty gash on her left arm where one had got her, but her adrenaline helped her ignore it for now. She now held two knives, one was her WestPoint issued one for her involvement on the Combat Arms team, and the other was her own little Benchmade, the small one she had initially grabbed, her companion since her 18th Birthday.

The Brute on her left swung his sword at her head, but Kate ducked swiftly and shot out her leg towards his knee, feeling it buckle beneath her heel. Without missing a beat she reached up to grab the arm that had attempted to lob off her head seconds before, and used the man's own momentum to send him reeling into the thug next to him.

As those two tried to untangle themselves, the man on her right charged her, bringing his sword down towards her shoulder. Kate stepped to her left, avoiding the blow and bringing her knee up to connect solidly with his stomach as he passed her. She slammed the hilt of her large dagger solidly into the back of his skull, feeling it give ever so slightly as the man collapsed on the ground. Kate turned in time to see that the first two had freed themselves from each other, and they now both charged her.

Kate knew that she couldn't handle both at the same time; she had two small daggers and they were full grown men with swords. She decided to throw them off by charging them, screaming wildly, and then ducking down to roll between them. As she came up behind them, turning quickly, she suddenly heard an odd cry.

"Aieelalalalalaaaaaa"

Kate looked up to see a streak of brown, black, and gold as someone neatly jumped over her, landing solidly in front of her and swinging another…sword, against one of the thugs. Kate turned to face the remaining man, but he was already engaged with a smaller, blonde girl who was fighting him with what looked to be a pair of long, thin daggers. Except she held them with the points faced inwards, and used the hilts to attack her opponent. In a matter of seconds both men lay on the ground, unconscious like their friend, and Kate was left wondering if these two strangers would attack her as well.

Before they had jumped in, Xena and Gabrielle had only taken the time to notice that it was three on one, and that one was in trouble. Now that it was safe they took the time to appraise the woman they had just rescued, and they were both quite startled.

Standing in front of them was a tall young woman, as tall as Xena, in a tan shirt and long pants that had a design neither had seen before. It had multicolored patches of brown, green, and tan, and seemed to be incredibly well made. She had hazel eyes and long brown hair that was pulled back in a ponytail. Her boots were also of a kind they had never seen before, a tan mix of leather and fabric. She was incredibly fit and obviously knew how to fight; and right now she was eyeing them with a mixture of confusion and apprehension.

"Are you all right?" asked the small blonde girl.

Kate blinked, she had been staring at the two women's clothes, they were…bizarre to say the least; the tall woman wore a leather corset and skirt, with armor over it, while the smaller woman wore a knee-length fleece jacket, under which she wore what barely passed as undergarments. Kate eyed the weapons the two still had drawn as she spoke. "Uh…yea-" she was cut off by something warm and wet dripping in to her right eye. She flicked her Benchmade closed, pocketing it, before reaching up to her eye to wipe off the sticky substance. Holding her hand up she saw that it was blood, and she felt her forehead to find a large gash right above her eye. "oh Bloody Hell" she muttered_ Must have cut it on a rock when I rolled_ she thought, annoyed. She turned back to the two strange women, who were looking at her expectantly, and finished her reply. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Um…thanks I guess. Who are you two? And who were they?"

The tall, dark-haired woman spoke first, "My name is Xena, and this is my friend Gabrielle, I have no idea who those men were, but I assume they were just your typical, run-of-the-mill thieves; and you are…?"

Kate knelt down, wiping her larger knife on the ground before replacing it in the sheath on her belt. Run of the mill thieves? Yeah right, she'd never heard of men running around New York State brandishing swords and assaulting people. And now here were two more, equally strange women. This was just getting stranger and stranger. Straightening up, Kate fell into parade rest; maybe this was some wacky test WestPoint was throwing at her. "My name is Katharine Sheilds, I'm a Fourth-year cadet at the United States Military Academy at WestPoint."

Xena and Gabrielle stared at her blankly. Kate faltered a bit, everyone knew WestPoint, "You know, WestPoint, it can't be more than ten miles from here. I was on a training exercise and got separated from my company."

The two women looked at each other, both thinking the same thing; this woman was either very lost, or crazy. They hadn't heard of any of the places she had mentioned, and it certainly wasn't close by.

Kate noticed the looks on their faces; they clearly had no idea what she was talking about. _Great, I must have stumbled upon some kind of…renaissance reenactment or something, god those people take these things too far sometime._ She pinched the bridge of her nose, her head was throbbing, and so was her arm. "Ok whatever, so you guys don't know WestPoint. Look could you point me in the direction of the nearest town or city? I really need to get back to civilization."

Gabrielle piped up, "Actually we're heading to Athens right now, according to Xena it's a little over a days walk from here." At that she gave the tall warrior a pointed look, but Xena missed it.

_Athens, of course; I suppose the woman's armor looks vaguely Greco-Roman, must be some kind of ancient civilizations reenactment_. They must have given all the local towns and such Greek names. Kate held herself back from rolling her eyes, "Athens, right, ok then which direction is it?" she started moving towards her tent, picking up the few items that were tossed about in the fight. When she got to her tent she looked forlornly at the tear in the back; that would be a bitch to fix.

Xena and Gabrielle stood in the same spot, watching as the woman broke down her camp. One of the men on the ground groaned and they realized it would be a good idea to tie the men up. Xena set about dragging the men to a tree as she answered. "It's due east from here, but the woods can turn you around pretty quickly; you're welcome to travel with us if you wish. It'll probably be safer anyways."

Kate paused in her packing; there wasn't any harm travelling with the two, she supposed, and they did have a point, it would be safer. She stuffed the rest of her things into her pack, slinging it onto her back as she stood. "I guess I can tag along with you guys, thanks."

As Xena and Gabrielle finished tying the men to the tree, they smiled at their strange new companion. Xena whistled and Argo came running, and just like that they were off.

**So what do you think? Opinions, comments and edits are welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**First, same disclaimers, Xena not mine, way to good to come from this mess of a cerebellum.**

**Second, Yay I have readers! always good to know; and I appreciate the reviews as well. They will be addressed.  
**

**Thirdly, to address the reviews (told you I would); people, it is the first chapter, PLEASE allow me some room for character development. Your questions should be addressed in the following chapter, meaning this one, meaning read on!**

**lastly, another disclaimer; the following chapter deals in part with theology, and a theory I quite literally made up because it suited the story line and would be really, really cool if it was right. If I in any way offend you on the basis of your religion, then I apologize. Also, just food for thought; Xena already played a little bit with bringing people from the future, lets just say I'm playing with it a bit more.  
**

Chapter Two: On the infallibility of human denial

"_Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours." _-Tecumseh

_The battlefield was littered with corpses, some looked as if they had been barely old enough to lift a sword. Kate looked around her in shock; never had she seen such a horrific sight._

_"Despicable isn't it?" A voice, calm and calculating, spoke behind her. Kate whirled to face the speaker and gasped._

_A woman was coming towards her, wrapped in a glowing robe and seeming to emit a light of her own. Her sandaled feet never touched the ground, instead she floated. She carried a mighty spear, with a sword at her side, and a shield on which was carved a horrific face surrounded by snakes. Her long brunette hair fell across her shoulders in gentle curls, spilling out from under a Spartan helmet. An owl swooped overhead, coming to rest on the woman's shoulder. What struck Kate the most, however, were the woman's eyes; they were a steely grey and seemed as if they held infinite knowledge. Something about the woman was familiar, almost comforting to Kate; but she couldn't quite put her finger on it._

_The woman looked about her with a sad, tired expression. "This battle, it should never have happened; It could have been settled so easily with diplomacy, with honor." Her eyes flashed with anger. "But no, humans must have their blood, they must have their death and destruction; and who could stop them? And now thousands of good young men lie slain, victims of a pointless war."_

_As the woman turned her head Kate saw her in profile, and the familiar feeling struck her again, stronger this time; and suddenly she realized why. The woman's helmet in profile, it was the very symbol of her Academy; Kate saw it every day. Suddenly Kate was filled with awe and disbelief as she realized just who it was who was speaking with her._

_"A…Athena?" She whispered, dumbstruck. The goddess turned to her with a sad smile._

_"Yes, Katharine; or should I say, Minerva. Didn't take you very long did it?"_

_Kate stood, mouth agape, this woman knew her real name? Of course she shouldn't be surprised, the woman was practically the Goddess of knowing things. "You're Athena, Greek Goddess of wisdom, warfare, and craftsmanship?"_

_Athena looked into the distance, and a cynical look overcame her. "I was Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, warfare, and craftsmanship. Now I'm dead, and humanity is without it's cleverness, it's wisdom."_

_Kate was confused; "Dead, but…how? You're a Goddess, I mean, you're immortal right?"_

_Athena gave Kate a slightly condescending look, "Even the Gods can be killed, Minerva."_

_Kate winced, she hated her first name. "I really would prefer you call me Kate, or at least Katharine, if you don't mind."_

_Athena shrugged, "As you wish Katharine, although Minerva is a beautiful name."_

_Kate sighed, that would have to do, "Thanks but that's your opinion, so wait, how did you die? And actually, how am I even speaking with you? You're a Myth, the Greeks belief in the Olympians was based on a lack of knowledge."_

_The goddesses eyes narrowed "Their belief in us was based on just that, belief." Then she sighed " But I understand your confusion, so I guess I should give a quick explanation; Gods and Goddesses derive their powers from those who believe in them, we existed because the Greeks believed we did. However recently something unnatural happened. A Greek, given power by a new Deity, slew most of the pantheon; but there are still a great many Greeks who believe in us. This belief is feeding a power that no longer has a vessel to control it, and that raw power is dangerous. That is why you are here."_

_"Here? I'm dreaming."_

_"I meant where you are currently. I brought you there."_

_"No you didn't." Katharine started, "I got lost during a training mission."_

_Athena chuckled, "No Katharine, come now you're a clever girl, that's why I chose you. Don't let your human denial override your common sense. Think logically about what you have seen."_

_Kate began to protest, then she stopped and thought; the lack of radio contact, the maps being wrong, the strange people she encountered, references to Greek cities, ancient weapons…"Are you trying to say, and I can't believe I'm saying this, that right now I'm in…Ancient Greece?"_

_Athena applauded dramatically, "Three cheers for overcoming denial! Yes Katharine, by your peoples measurement of time I would say that right now you are in…300 B.C."_

_Kate laughed outright, "I don't believe you; but you know up until just then this was a pretty interesting dream, you had me going for a bit."_

_Athena sighed "I guess denial is stronger than I thought. Well believe what you want, it makes no difference to me; you'll find out the truth soon enough either way."_

_Kate rolled her eyes, "Ok then, for the sake of discussion I'll humor you. Why am I here? What happened to the other Olympians? And also, if you're dead like you said, then how did you bring me here?"_

_Athena looked at the young woman wistfully; she would come around soon, she would have no choice. "I chose you because you epitomize what I stand for; were you alive in Ancient Greece without a doubt you would have been one of my champions."_

_Kate felt her cheeks flush, "You give me far too much credit."_

_Athena smiled, "And you are far too modest Katharine; I know your history. You were at the top of your High school class, a State ranked athlete who also won multiple awards for her art, and held a passion for the stage. Amongst your friends you were looked to for your advice and calm head, and amongst your other organizations you were looked to as a leader. Respected by your teachers for your knowledge and curiosity, and by your peers for your virtue and loyalty, you also kept your faith in the law even when you were scorned for it. Now you are about to graduate from the most prestigious university in your nation, a University which, although you did not get in your first try, you persevered and made it on your second. You are Majoring in Military Strategy, one of the highest ranking officers in your class, a member of the Combat arms team as well as the skydiving team. You are an actress, an artist, an athlete, a scholar, a counselor, a leader, a thinker and a fighter. You value integrity, loyalty, virtue and honor above all else. Now tell me, was any of that a lie?"_

_Kate was silent for a few moments, she would never quite have described herself that way; it sounded so…inflated. But she couldn't deny it's truth; maybe her mind was trying to give her more confidence? She shook her head._

_Athena continued to smile, "good then, so you won't deny that you would make a fine replacement?"_

_Kate's head shot up, "Wha-replacement?!" she spluttered_

_Athena simply looked at her, "That's why I brought you here, I had hoped you would have garnered that from what I've told you; as for the other Olympians, they too lie either dead or powerless, and as we speak they are selecting their champions as well. In fact from what I've heard you may know a few of them."_

_This was way too much information for Katharine to process all at once, so she simply ploughed ahead, "Once again though, how did you bring me here if you are powerless?"_

_Athena's face clouded over; "The God who allowed us to be killed did not foresee how needed we were. He simply saw the harm we did to humans, which admittedly was quite a bit, and thought that without us they would be better off. When he saw how our untamed powers caused even worse destruction, however, he realized he did not yet have the ability to control it; he is, after all, a young God. He permitted us to choose a replacement, but he kept the final say; it was in fact rather difficult to find someone worthy of both my mantle and his trust. Although we both have our doubts, you are the first we both approve of; it was through his power that you are here, and through him I now speak to you."_

_As someone who had no established faith, this threw Kate off. "You could choose anyone, throughout all of time, and you chose me? Seriously I am sure there have been plenty other more fitting candidates."_

_Athena laughed, "Well truth be told Joan de Arc was a favorite of mine, but she died before either of us thought she was ready. You see, I can't go back in time, only forward; many of the people that I have thought to be promising died before I was certain, others could not pass a test I gave them, and others simply refused. Actually that was the case with quite a few of the Olympians. God informed us that after the 21st century, there would probably be few if any good candidates; so I think it's safe to say we're getting a bit desperate. I don't think, however, that I'm settling when it comes to you; you fit both our criteria rather well."_

_This dream just kept getting stranger and stranger, Kate never had dreams this coherent, and this idea was a stretch even for her imagination. Kate took a second, looking around once more at the corpses littering the ground; There was no stench, no sound, but the scenery was so real, so detailed. No wonder she was so tempted to believe this woman. Kate closed her eyes, "I have to say I'm flattered, if this was real I'd be even more flattered; but in a few moments I will wake up in the mountains of New York, with a couple of strange roleplayers."_

_Athena rolled her eyes, "Fine, believe what you will; but when you realize the truth here is your first test;_

_The edge of the city of the olive tree_

_In a temple dedicated solely to me_

_The foot will find you an all-knowing guide_

_All you must do is follow it inside_

_But be warned, there will be woe_

_When you must face a friendly foe"_

_Slowly the surroundings began to shimmer and briefly Kate saw faces flash before her; some were those of her close friends, others were ones she had never seen before. Then she felt herself being shaken and the faces disappeared._

_**Ok, so if you still don't get where I'm going with this, with regards to roman mythology, then here is a little cheat sheet that I'll add at the end of each chapter explaining names, ties, etc.  
**_

_**Minerva- Roman equivalent of the Greek Goddess Athena.  
Domain; War, Wisdom, Medicine, Weaving, Crafts, and Magic.  
**_

_**Hope you enjoyed, any reviews, praise and criticism alike, are welcome.  
**_

_**(Also, I will NOT be posting this often, I only posted this chapter the day after because many of you seemed a bit confuzzled)  
**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Same disclaimer applies; Xena not mine. I borrowed her.**

**Don't really have much else to say besides the fact that I read your reviews, and have taken the suggestions into account; so thanks :).  
**

Chapter 3: Of coming to terms with a baffling reality.

"_Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life."_ -Tecumseh

"Wha-?" Kate jerked awake, to find Gabrielle kneeling next to her with a finger to her lips.

"Shhh" Gabrielle hissed fiercely before looking around. She lowered her head, whispering "_Xena spotted a patrol, probably a new warlord; she didn't recognize their uniforms."_

_Unfamiliar uniforms_? Kate shot up, looking around frantically. "_Which way did they go?!_" she whispered desperately. Gabrielle pointed to her left and Kate bolted in the direction.

"HEY!" Gabrielle shouted, taking off after Kate. Kate was fast, but Gabrielle was faster and knew the terrain; in a few moments Kate felt her feet swept from under her and she tumbled to the ground. Gabrielle, panting, sat on her back putting her arms in some kind of lock. She put her face close to Kate's ear. "_Are you insane?!"_ she whispered venomously, "_Or do you just have a death wish? These men would not be half as easy as the ones this morning, not to mention there were more and they are much better armed. Why the HELL did you bolt like that?_"

"They're my buds, I just know it; they have to be." Kate didn't bother whispering, she saw no reason to. Gabrielle winced at her volume.

"_If you mean you think they look like you, then you are dead wrong; they carried spears and wore armor, they didn't have this funky getup you're wearing._"

If it was possible for Kate's shoulders to slump while she was being pressed into the ground, they did; she didn't know why she thought Xena had seen her unit, but she was so desperate to find them. Gabrielle recognized that Kate was no longer going to try desperately to run away, so she got off of her slowly. Kate eased herself up, shaking out her arms.

"_Ok fine, so what are we going to do then?_" Kate decided it was best if she whispered too.

Gabrielle continued to sit on the ground, "_We wait for Xena, she should be back at any moment._"

Almost on cue Xena strode out of the brush towards them. "They're far enough away that we can talk normally. That was just a roving patrol though; I figured that out soon enough."

"What do you mean?" asked Gabrielle, sensing trouble.

"After a few minutes of light jogging I came on their camp; their camp of, oh, at least ten thousand warriors."

Gabrielle massaged her temple, closing her eyes, "So it's a full invasion force, brilliant; no doubt headed straight for Athens. Did you know him?"

Xena grimaced, "No, which bothers me; might not even be a him too, honestly I couldn't get close enough to check it out."

Gabrielle looked up at Xena, "We've been out for 25 years, obviously some new guys were going to pop up; we should focus on warning Athens."

Xena nodded, "You're right, if we travel fast we could probably make it before noon…Wait, where's our stuff?"

Gabrielle looked pointedly at Kate, who had been in a slight state of shock throughout the conversation, "This one thought she knew our little roving patrol, decided to take off into the woods; I had to chase after her. Our stuff is still in the camp."

Xena walked over to Kate and pulled her to her feet, "Well come on then, we need to get moving."

As they walked back to camp only one thought was going through Kate's mind, _What the fuck is going on?_

An hour later found the trio back on the way to Athens, moving at a rather fast pace. The trip had been relatively silent, with almost all attempts at conversation made by either Xena or Gabrielle shot down by the morose Kate.

Kate had been getting steadily more depressed and confused as she, bit by bit, came to terms with the fact that there was NO WAY she was still in New York. If the dirt road they came upon didn't clue her in, then the carts and small farms along the way left her with no alternative. She toyed with the idea that she had somehow ended up in Pennsylvania, and everyone was Amish; but that still didn't explain the clothing, and Amish people at least knew about normal society. She had gone up to one farmer and demanded to know where the nearest cell-tower was, and he had looked at her like she was crazy until Gabrielle and Xena had dragged her away.

At times it got a bit extreme; about a half-hour out Kate decided that she was, in fact, dreaming. She pinched herself repeatedly, hit her head on a tree, but to no avail; everything hurt, and she did not "wake up". Gabrielle and Xena watched with a growing feeling of unease, beginning to think that they had, in fact, adopted a mental case. After the dream-theory was busted, however, Kate calmed down; she still wouldn't talk, but at least she wasn't assaulting every wanton tree they came upon.

After another half-hour of award silence, Kate suddenly asked, "So this…invasion force, you said it was around ten thousand men?"

Gabrielle looked up at Xena, who had mounted Argo as soon as they had found the dirt road, and the warrior shrugged. Looking at Kate, who was a couple paces in front of them, she nodded, "Yeah I'm pretty good at guessing these things, it was ten thousand give or take a hundred warriors."

Kate whistled, "Were they well equipped? Or did they seem more rag-tag than professional?"

Once more the Warrior and her Bard shared a look, they didn't see where this was coming from or, for that matter, going. Xena answered again, "From what I could tell they were all very well-armed and well-funded. I didn't see any of them fight, so I couldn't comment on their skill, but their camp was well guarded and surprisingly well hidden for an army so large; it says something about the skill of their tacticians, that's for sure."

"And…Athens, is it prepared to defend against an army that large?"

Xena still had no idea why Kate had suddenly decided to talk with them, but the girl was speaking her language, that was for sure. "Athens has defended itself numerous times in the past, it's shining moment was at-"

"-Marathon, yes I know, over 6,400 Persians dead to a little over 100 Athenian deaths; tactically it was an incredible success, but that was Greek Hoplites against Persian light infantry, and the terrain was advantageous to the Athenians. I'm asking if Athens the city is prepared for a siege, or would it be able to assemble a force large enough to face off against this threat and win?"

Xena was stunned into silence for a few moments, she considered asking how this girl knew so much about past battles and tactics, but figured she should just answer. "Honestly I have no idea what state Athens is in right now, it could be able to assemble a force twice as large, especially with help from Sparta, or it could have been hit with famine. It's safe to say that, until we reach Athens, its fighting strength is unknown."

"Hmmm…" was all Kate had to say before she fell silent again.

One of the things that made Kate such a good soldier and leader, something her teachers had noticed throughout her four years at WestPoint, was how adaptable she was. As soon as she came to terms with the reality of a situation, she accepted it and moved on to the next problem she could solve. She had no idea how she had gotten where she was (although she kept getting weird flashbacks of a battlefield), but the one thing she knew, without question, was military strategy; so she applied that knowledge here. As she walked along she wished that she had been able to see the enemy encampment, just to get an idea of vulnerabilities and supply levels. She was itching to get a good look at Athens and see how defendable it was.

Xena and Gabrielle noticed a change in the young woman's demeanor; she went from morose to thoughtful, what they considered to be a positive difference. Gabrielle decided that it was safe to test the waters a bit.

"So how come you know about Marathon? And tactics and such?" she asked tentatively, waiting for the expected shrug and continued silence.

"It's what I've been studying for the past four years, important battles, strategy, advantages and disadvantages; you could say it's my thing."

"Oh", Gabrielle didn't really know how to respond, she knew people like Xena, ones who were battle-hardened and strategy was their bread and water, but she had yet to meet someone who simply studied it; a lot must have changed in 25 years. Gabrielle was about to ask another question when the trio rounded a bend and Xena let out a triumphant yell.

"Told you we'd get there!" she cried, grinning madly from Argo's back.

Kate's head shot up, and her jaw dropped as she beheld a glittering city.

And in the back of her mind, a strange verse rang out.

_The edge of the city of the olive tree,_

_In a temple dedicated solely to me,_

_The foot will find you an all-knowing guide,_

_All you must do is follow it inside,_

_But be warned, there will be woe,_

_When you must face a friendly foe._

_**Glossary?: Um...not really anything to add here, next chapter though...**  
_

_**SO I'd be interested to see what you think the riddle means. Also, it's a fluid story, so I do take reader suggestions into consideration. **  
_

_**A continuous thank you for the readers and reviews, literally every time I see a new review in my email I smile and do a little happy dance. So thanks, next chapter will be up soon.  
**_


	4. Chapter 4

**I feel like if I decided to change my mind and suddenly claim Xena as my own creation, you all wouldn't believe me; but I suppose I still need to disclaim; Xena Net Moy**. **(I'm taking Russian, that means Xena Not Mine...I think)**

**Seriously, don't hesitate to call me out if the story gets confusing, moves too fast, becomes unrealistic (moreso than it already is) or if you think at any time X or G act OOC.  
**

**And without further ado...Ch.4  
**

Chapter 4: Gentleman Crooks and Drunken Fists

The city was vast, a sprawling metropolis of shops, homes, theatres, academies, and temples.

"Well they obviously have no idea that there's a freaking army at their doorstep." Xena muttered, her eyes darting around at the various happy Athenians going along their merry way. Kate was once more stunned into silence; there were no ifs and or buts about it, she was in Ancient Greece. Now that she had accepted it she could move on to the history-buff wonder part. She looked around her in awe, often times Gabrielle had to yank her out of the way of a horse or cart, she was in such amazement of the place. After the third almost-collision Gabrielle had had enough.

"Xena, where were we meeting Autolycus again? We need to get this girl off the street before she kills herself; you'd think she's never been in a city before."

Xena pointed to an inn up the street "He said to meet up at the Dirty Robber…a rather appropriate name now that I think about it."

Gabrielle chuckled, "It is that, let's go."

As they reached the inn Xena tied Argo to a post outside. The sign above the door was well kept, and had the image of a typical thief climbing out a window with a bag of gold. Xena raised an eyebrow at this, the thief looked vaguely familiar…

Her thoughts were interrupted as two men were hurled through the front door, crashing straight into Kate who had been about to walk inside.

"You son of a Bachae! I won that match fair and square!" A large bearded man in a maroon suit roared, punching the other, smaller man in the jaw.

The smaller man, taking advantage of the large mans obvious drunken state, swept his feet out from under him. "I'm sorry, but this tavern doesn't take kindly to cheaters; that dice was loaded and you know it." The large man took a step back to try and correct his balance, but he fell over Kate who was trying to get back up. Enraged the drunk staggered to his feet and focused on his new, easier target.

"You bitch, howza bout you watch where yer goin!" he yelled, bringing his fist back to punch the now standing Kate.

Kate registered the fist coming towards her a second too slow, and was knocked backwards, into the wall of the tavern, when it connected with her face. Xena and Gabrielle both stepped forward to intervene, but the smaller, sober man was faster.

"Hit me? Sure." He said as he swung his fist into the drunks gut, doubling the man over, "But hit a girl simply because it's easy? That's just not right." He finished, bringing his knee up into the mans face and knocking him out cold. He turned to two other men who had come outside, probably to help break up the fight. "A pair of guards left a few minutes ago, see if you could catch up to them and have them pick this guy up before he wakes up." The two men nodded and one took off while the other stood by the passed out drunk.

Kate had hit her head hard on the wall of the tavern, and was a bit disoriented as she tried to sit up. She felt a strong pair of hands wrap around her left arm and pull her to her feet, and standing up she found staring into the blue-grey eyes bar brawler #2, the small man who had knocked out her assailant.

Of course, looking at him now he wasn't so small, he was actually a good inch taller than Kate, just small compared to the massive drunkard he had wiped out. He was young, not much older than Kate by her judgment, and though he wasn't burly he was lean; his hold on her arm as she steadied herself was firm. He had short brown hair, and was wearing a light grey tunic with brown trousers. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned, as he let go of her arm.

Kate nodded, embarrassed by the situation, and turned to Xena and Gabrielle who had come up beside her. When they saw that she was, in fact, fine, they turned to the young man standing a bit awkwardly in front of them.

"So what was that about?" Xena demanded, eyebrow raised.

The man shifted a little under the tall woman's intense gaze, he scratched the back of his head, "This is my mom's tavern, that guy…he causes us trouble sometimes, he's a huge cheat and every now and again he'll manage to sucker some poor guy into a game of dice. This time I tried to step in, I warned the guy he was messing with away and well…the jerk got pissed. You saw the rest."

Xena nodded, glad to know it wasn't a random bar scramble. "Well thanks for helping our friend here; I'm Xena, this is Gabrielle and the young woman you just defended is Kate."

Kate bristled at that; she didn't like to come off as someone who needed to be defended. But the fact was he had helped her, so she forced a smile in gratitude.

The man smiled back, "Good to meet you, I'm Mercureius, but my friends just call me Mercury; you're welcome inside. In fact, have a meal, on me; I feel bad about that nasty bruise you're developing." He gestured to Kate's face.

Suddenly self conscious, Kate put a hand up to her eye to feel where she'd been hit; sure enough it was already swelling. She scowled and followed her new friends inside.

The tavern was pleasant; it smelled of woodsmoke and the pig that was roasting over the fire. There was a dull murmur throughout, not too loud or boisterous, just pleasant talking. It was very clean, and looked to be in great condition. The three women were shown a seat by Mercureius, who then went off to get them some food.

"I was expecting the place to be more…shady." Xena said, looking around.

"Yeah no kidding, are you sure this was where Autolycus said to meet him?" Gabrielle didn't think the atmosphere was quite fitting for the King of thieves taste.

"Oh I'm sure, I wasn't going to forget the irony of the name that quickly." Xena assured Gabrielle.

"Who's this Autolycus fellow you keep talking about?" Kate asked, tired of being in the dark.

"He's an old acquaintance of ours, we've helped him out before." Xena said vaguely, she didn't know if she could trust this girl to keep her mouth shut about the king of thieves; more than a few people still probably wanted him dead.

"_You've_ helped _me_ out before? I believe you forgot to mention all the times _I_ helped _you_. Or have you died so many times already, Xena, that you forgot the one time I helped bring you back?"

Xena looked up and came face to face with an aged Autolycus; his hair was white, as was his still-trim mustache. He wore a blue tunic with black trim, a pair of brown trousers, and a massive grin. Xena and Gabrielle both couldn't help but mirror it.

"Autolycus, how good to see you; you look…old." Xena stood, smiling and extending her arm.

Autolycus grasped it in greeting, a firm grip; he was still fit as ever it seemed. "And you don't look like you've aged a day; really Xena it's a bit ridiculous, you'll have to tell me your secret sometime."

Xena smiled sadly, "It's not as great as you would think, but maybe sometime. Now-" and she moved aside, opening up a space at their table, "-pull up a chair, and tell us why the hell you had us meet you here."

Autolycus brought an unused chair over and sat. "What? Can't I just want to see a pair of old friends who, once more, came back from the dead?"

Xena chuckled, "I'm sure that may be part of the reason, Autolycus, but you and I both know it's never that simple with you."

"Yeah no kidding." Gabrielle added, "I was half expecting to have to bust you out of jail."

Autolycus drew back in fake offense, "Well, I am insulted; really, as if there is anywhere I couldn't bust out of on my own. I thought you two knew me better."

Xena smiled a bit impatiently, "We do; now if you don't mind, please tell us why we're here."

Autolycus looked around, and for the first time noticed Kate, he turned to Xena, shaking his head, "I will in a second, but first where are your manners Xena? You have yet to introduce me to your young friend."

Both Gabrielle and Xena turned to Kate, a little embarrassed by their lack of consideration; they still had to get used to their third wheel.

Kate, who had been rather confused by the entire exchange, was caught off guard; "Wha- me? I'm Katherine, but everyone just calls me Kate."

Autolycus beamed in greeting at Kate, "Well, Kate, as I'm sure you have gathered my name is Autolycus; formerly known as the King of Thieves."

Kate deadpanned, _King of Theives? Seriously, that's a bit…corny._

Gabrielle reacted a bit differently, turning to Autolycus with a concerned look on her face, "Formerly…? Is that why we're here?"

Autolycus looked puzzled for a second, and then his face cleared, "Oh! No no no, you misunderstand me; I passed the title on a few years ago, to a rather cunning young man who I approve very highly of. In fact-" he said, looking behind him, "I believe he is bringing you some food."

Mercureius approached the table gracefully balancing three loaded plates heaped high with an assortment of meats, breads, and fruits. Without giving him a chance to place the plates on the table, Autolycus stood, put his arm around the boys shoulder, and squeezed; the movement shook Mercureius, and he struggled to keep from dropping the plates.

"This-" Autolycus said proudly, "Is my half-nephew Mercureius, the King of Thieves. Mercureius these are my good friends-"

"We've met." Xena interrupted, "He was involved in the scuffle outside that gave our friend her nice little bruise."

Autolycus drew back from Mercureius, a warning in his voice "My boy, I really hope it wasn't you who-"

"No uncle." Mercureius said tiredly, "It was that asshole drunkard whom I escorted outside; really, you think I would ever hit a girl? Now would you mind moving so I can give these ladies their food?"

Autolycus did, sitting down once more. Once Mercureius left to take care of other customers, Autolycus got very serious; he leaned in, lowering his voice. "Now I suppose I should explain what's going on; as you know almost all of the Olympian gods have either died or disappeared. Even my father, Hermes, is nowhere to be found."

Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other uncomfortably; they didn't directly kill Hermes, but they knew that the reason he and the others had surrendered their mantles was out of fear of them. Kate, on the other hand, was sitting very still; something about what Autolycus had just said struck a chord within her, and she suddenly felt as if there was something she needed to remember.

Autolycus continued, picking at the bread on the table, "So that means that Athens has lost its main source of divine protection; we're practically sitting ducks. Of course, almost no one knows this, but the fact is that there is only one thing left giving this city any kind of divine protection."

"The Olive tree!" Gabrielle exclaimed, quickly shushed by Autolycus.

"Yes yes, the Olive tree; the one that Athena planted when this city was founded. It's sacred to this city and the Temple of Athena, and it's location is a complete secret; even I don't know where it is, except that it's somewhere on the Acropolis. However the past couple months there have been break-ins at the temple, a few priests have even been found dead. After the first two break-ins I sent for you, since then there have been five more that I know of. Each time it's a different part of the Acropolis, and I'm afraid that, if they aren't stopped, whoever it is will find the Olive tree. I'm terrified of what will happen to this city if they do; Athens is my home, my half-sister and Mercureius…they're the only family I have."

Gabrielle nodded gravely, "It is a very real threat; the olives from the tree are said to grant Immortality to those who eat it, if they have been blessed by Athena. However if one eats the fruit who has not been blessed, they are given godlike powers, but the tree dies and the divine protection of the city is gone, permanently."

"Wait a second, I've heard this story." Kate said, trying to follow along with what was happening, the three turned to her and waited, Kate continued, "When Athens was founded they didn't know what to name it, Poseidon and Athena both wanted to claim it as theirs, and be it's patron; but there was no easy way to decide. They came up with the idea for a competition; whoever granted the city with the most useful gift would be the victor. Poseidon went first, striking a rock with his trident; a spring came forth and the men rejoiced, as a stream would be useful in a time of siege. However the water was salty, and would take time to make drinkable. It was Athena's turn next, and she planted the first Olive tree; she showed the women how to make oil, and how to plant more, and the women saw how useful it would be for cooking and lamps. It was put to a vote, and as there was one more woman than men, Athena was chosen as Patron, and thus the city was named Athens."

"Yes, that's right." Said Gabrielle, continuing the story, "And the hill upon which the spring and Olive tree had been planted became the central focus of Athens, the Acropolis, and a temple to Athena was built up around the Olive tree."

"But, um…if the tree was sacred, wouldn't everyone who first used the tree have been blessed with godly powers?" Kate asked, understandably confused.

Autolycus answered before Gabrielle could, "Athena granted the citizens of Athens the right to take the olives and plant new trees, trees they could use the olives from; she warned the original citizens of the price of eating the olives from the first tree, and since then none have. It is said, actually, that the tree is guarded by more than just us Athenians, so worrying so much over it's safety seems pointless…but it would do the city a world of good if the attacks on the temple were ended, and the perpetrators brought to light."

Xena thought it was time she brought something up,"Autolycus…I think we know who's doing this. There's an army to the south of here; large, well-equipped and potentially well trained. I was wondering why they seemed so permanently entrenched, but now it makes sense; they're waiting for the tree to die."

"Do you know who it is?" Autolycus asked, alarmed.

"I do not." Xena replied, "I was hoping you might."

"No I don't, I honestly doubt anyone in this city knows about it; we've been a bit more focused inward than outward. Although, in hindsight, we should have realized that this was the reason." He shook his head, "This is a mess, I have no idea where this new warlord could have come from, or how he's managed to go unnoticed so close to our city for who knows how long. This is getting to be a lot more complicated than I thought."

"Yes, it will be; but now we're here to help, so at least that's something. Tonight we can go to the temple, check it out a bit; for now, we need to find a place to stay." Xena rose, as did Gabrielle.

Autolycus stayed seated, giving Xena the biggest "you're-an-idiot" look he could. "Really Xena, this is my half-sisters inn; do you seriously think I would ask you to come all the way here and then not give you a place to stay? You insult me." He rose, "Come with me and I'll show you your rooms, I had one prepared for you two, and I'm sure there's one available for your friend."

Kate was the last to rise, and as she did Autolycus called Mercureius over, "Hey Mercury, do you think you could take young Miss Kate's things and find her a room?"

Mercureius jogged over and, with a nod to Autolycus and a smile to Kate, came up to her; "Are your things outside?" he asked, gesturing to the door.

Kate had yet to warm up to this young man; she hated people seeing her vulnerable and he had not only done that, he had had to protect her. The look she gave him was not her warmest, "Yeah, they're on Argo; but you don't have to carry them, I can do it fine by myself."

Mercureius shook his head, heading towards the door, "I'm sure you can, but I could hardly call myself a gentleman if I let you now could I?" As Kate followed him outside, trying to protest, she already found him slinging her ruck on his back. He gave her a cheeky grin she found infuriating, "Sorry, but you're too late; now let's find you a room shall we?"

And just like that he was off again, Kate huffed and followed, muttering "I didn't realize that _gentleman_ was in the King of Thieves job description," but knowing that he was just going to ignore any further protests from her. She didn't know what to make of this young man; she knew that during this time period women had few rights; Gabrielle and Xena seemed very much to be an exception to that rule. Yet here was a man who was treating her with respect, but not in a condescending way. He must have gotten it from his uncle, that guy seemed to have rather untraditional views.

As they made their way through the bar Kate noticed she was getting some odd looks; she had noticed it on the road as well, but she decided to ask about it. "Hey Mercureius-"

"Call me Mercury, really; we've been in a fight together, we're practically family." She couldn't see his face, but she could hear a smile in his voice.

Once more Kate was struck by how uncharacteristic of this time he was; he said fight together when a more accurate description would have been he had fought in her defense. She continued, however, "Fine, Mercury; do I really look that odd? I mean, people keep staring at me."

This time he did turn and look at her, giving her an appraising look that took in her odd clothes, confident posture, and generally clean appearance. He faced forwards again, starting to head up some stairs. "Yeah, you look pretty odd; but not in a bad way, mind you. Your clothes; well I've never seen any like them, I'm sure none of the men in here have. Also you dress like a man; you can pull it off though, believe me. You're just an obvious outsider is all, if it makes you uncomfortable then I'd just suggest changing."

Kate thought about that as Mercury approached a door and pulled out a key; maybe Xena and Gabrielle would want to take her shopping later? She would ask them after she got settled. Mercury opened the door and led her into a simple room; a small bed stood against the far wall, under an open window that let in a nice breeze. A chamber pot sat next to the bed, and a large tub was in the opposite corner. Finally a simple table and chair sat against the wall to their left. Mercury walked over to the bed and heaved her ruck onto it, wiping his forehead afterwards.

"Hades, do you carry rocks in that thing?"

Going over to her ruck Kate allowed herself a small grin, "You could say that." She responded, starting to pull her things out and setting them on the ground; canteens, elbow flashlight, Kevlar, LBV, Camelback, tent-stakes, Poncho...

Mercury was examining the items she pulled out with curiosity, but finally realized himself and backed up to the door. "So, um, I'll be around the inn if you need anything; really don't hesitate to ask."

"Sure thing, thanks." Said Kate, finally finding her poncho liner, or "woobie" as she liked to call it, and pulling it out. She heard the door click shut, and heaved a sigh; things just kept getting more and more bizarre, and just "going with the flow" was exhausting; she needed to let her brain rest. She threw her woobie on the bed, lay down on top of it, closed her eyes and was soon in a deep sleep.

Xena was walking down the hall when she saw Mercury leave a room and shut the door slowly behind him. Walking up to him she asked, "This where Kate's staying?"

Mercury nodded, "Yeah and I think she just went to sleep, so let's move away from the door a bit."

Xena nodded and they walked down the hall a ways before she stopped again, "So…thoughts? I mean has Greece really changed that much or…"

Mercury understood, his uncle had filled him in that Xena and Gabrielle had both been MIA for the past 25 years; he shook his head, "No you're right, she is far from normal here, and I think she's starting to realize it. Where is she from?"

Xena shrugged, "Hell if I know, she mentioned a few places that we've never heard of, and she was acting a bit crazy on the way over; either she is incredibly lost, or insane."

"Well I don't think she's insane, but I can certainly agree with lost; she needs new clothes though, she's drawing way too much attention to herself, and that could be bad." He hadn't known her very long, but Mercury already felt a bit protective of the young woman; and he hadn't liked some of the looks she'd been on the receiving end of in the pub.

Xena nodded in agreement, "Gabrielle and I could probably take her later; but if we're, um, busy, do you think you could?"

Mecury decided not to imagine what could keep the two women busy, and instead nodded, "Sure, I don't know much about womens fashion, but I'm sure we can find something she likes. But one thing; do you know if she has Dinarii with her?"

"That's a good point…" Xena said thoughtfully, then she reached into her pouch and pulled out a small handful of coins, "Here, if she doesn't have any money let her use this."

Mercury nodded, pocketing the coins, "Alright, well, see you later then."

Xena nodded a farewell, and then watched as the young man headed to the staircase and down into the pub area. Xena walked over to Kate's door, and took out a piece of parchment and charcoal. On it she scribbled down where her room was and a short note, and slid it under the door. Standing back up she walked back to her room, opened the door, and slid inside, quietly shutting the door behind her.

Gabrielle was resting on the bed, deep in thought. She turned on her side to face Xena as the woman crawled into bed next to her, smiling, "So do you think the thief will try tonight?"

Xena lay back, arms behind her head, and stared at the ceiling, "I hope so, especially after that rumor I had Autolycus spread, about the tree being underneath the front entrance of the temple."

Gabrielle snuggled in a bit closer to Xena, and the taller woman put her arm around the small Bard. Gabrielle sighed quietly, "Things are gonna get rough again, aren't they?"

Xena smirked a bit, and squeezed the small woman's shoulders, "Yeah, but I'm sure it'll all work out. My main worry is Kate; if this ends in a siege I don't know how she'll fare. Also…something is definitely different about her, almost familiar, but I can't tell what. Either way we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, for now let's get some rest; we'll be awake all night waiting for that thief."

Gabrielle frowned, then a sly smile spread across her face, "But Xena…" She said, reaching up to play with a strand of Xena's hair, "I'm not tired yet."

Xena chuckled, finally turning to face her small Bard, "I thought you might say that."

**Have at it, subbers.**

**Glossary:  
**

**Mercury: Roman equivalent of the Greek God Hermes; quick and cunning messenger God, known to carry a caduceus; a staff with two serpents intertwined. **

**Domain: travel, tradesmen, wit, thieves, herdsmen, orators, sports.  
**

**Autolycus: (Yeah you all know him, but I bet you didn't know-) Son of Hermes and Chione, who was killed by Artemis for her vanity, and half-twin brother of Philamon, son of Apollo and a famous musician.  
**

**(Now for army terminology)  
**

**Ruck: a giant-ass backpack that soldiers literally stuff EVERYTHING into. It is usually digital camo, or dark green. It's also really freaking heavy; can be around 80 lbs.  
**

**Poncho-liner: Or "woobie", this incredibly warm blanket thing, also digital camo or woodland camo, no idea why it's called a poncho liner or woobie, because it's really just a blanket, but that's how the Army works folks.  
**

**LBV: Load-Bearing-Vest, a tan vest thing that you literally attach EVERYTHING to; canteens, ammo, compass, etc.  
**

**Elbow flashlight: An L-shaped flashlight that shines a red light.  
**

**Tent stakes: Bright...orange...stakes...used to make tents.  
**

**Poncho: a waterproof sheet with a little hood, used to make a "Hooch" (Which is a tent, but not a tent)  
**

**Kevlar: A typical US Army helmet  
**

**Camelback: it's like a backpack full of water, with a straw to your mouth. But it's TACTICAL.  
**

**So yeah, any confusion? I hope you're still enjoying it, because when people respond it makes continuing to write this story MUCH more appealing than doing my Russian homework.  
**

**Also, posing theories, or shipping characters; perfectly acceptable and/or encouraged.  
**

**Peace.  
**


End file.
